RTR46F7I.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
China has so much to impart to the world in terms of building disaster management and response capacity, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos said during a recent two-day visit to the country.
China has invested significantly in developing its disaster management capabilities due to the serious floods, droughts, typhoons and earthquakes beleaguering the country yearly, according to a press release from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which Amos leads.
"I thank China for their contributions to humanitarian crises in the region and around the world and look forward to our continued collaboration," said Amos, who is also the organization's Emergency Relief Coordinator.
According to UN's website, China has ample knowledge and expertise in managing natural disasters and is one of the few countries capable of deploying a "heavy" international research and rescue team to mount technical search and rescue operations.
"We have a very close relationship with China and I have had very useful discussions with Government, the diplomatic community, humanitarian and private sector partners on how, together, we can address the humanitarian challenges the international community continues to face," Amos added.
During the official's visit from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, she was in talks with Chinese government officials including Vice Premier Wang Yang, Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng, Vice Minister of Civil Affairs Jiang Li and China Earthquake Administration Vice Administrator Xiu Jigang, among others. They discussed ways of fortifying the partnership between the UN and China on disaster management.
"Here in China, a robust philanthropic movement is emerging, and foundations are increasingly influential players in both domestic and international disaster response work. We need to work together to make sure that everyone's voices are hear," she said.
